The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-15
s6Ul7Ekl jIRoItHE1LDs
TWENTY NEW COKE FURNACES
ABOUT TO BIZ ESTABLISHED.
Raw and Inefficient Labor the Chief
Drawback to Develop.
ment.
lsrEcrAL TO THn ArrIAL.l

lsrrcrAL TO THn APrIAL.i
RMIsaHAM, ALA, July IA ne
general expectation has been that the
production Of pig iron in the s,outh
would he largely increased tbi', year.
The contrary is the fact. II ie. doubt.
iul II last years aggregate will be
eoualed. OF the twenty or more new
coke furnaces in process 9! construc-
ton, or contracted for, not one will
make iron this year. Several would
have started before October bad the
plans Of their projectors been carried
out But between the intermlnable
DELAYS in construction, due to ex-
cessiye building, and the short coke
supply, which has even forced exist
ing iurnaces into many weeks Of idle
ness, the work Of building Is every.
where much behind. OF the furnaces
blowing an uou.uslly large nun Der
are having trouble Of one and another
kind. The output % given In the
Western Pig Iron Association and
other published reports Is misleading.
The capacity Of the furnaces In blast is
given, not their product. There
should be no important difference be.
tween the two, but unfortunately
there 10. When II IL stated that
scarcely one In elk OF the leading coke
furnaces in Alabama and Tennesses Ia
dolrg good work, and that fully one
hall OF them have for weeks been
doing positively bad work, one can see
that
PRODUCTION 10 VERY MUCH CUT DOWN.
Several have ben banked for weeks
at q time from inability 10 get coke.
Two or three OF the largest furnaces
are now blowing out for refining and
repairs and Others are likely to follow.
The causes OF theee drawbacks and
failures In furHace practice are much
discussed. The ores used are capable
OF making good iron aud OF uniform
quality, and II 10 conceded that the
furnace plants OF the South are In sizs
and contraction beyond those Of any
other district taken AZ whole. la
some instar ces able and experienced
furosce men are In charge. Never
theless the bad furnace practice con.
tinuee, and strangely cuough does not
seem to dimiuish with larger expert.
ence. Managers aud ioundrymen are
freqsently changed Ia the hope OF 60
curing better results. which are not
realised after the changes are made. II
Ia q singular fact tlat the furnace
now doing the best work Of the
Ave belonging 10 the Tennessee
Coal, Iron and Railroad Company
Ia run entirely by a man who
was taken OF one yard at 81 20 per
day 10 ill this emergency. A careful
and exterdei observation OF the 70.
suits at many different plants leads 10
the conclusion that the trouble Ia not
In the ores, nor In the form and con-
struction oil the furnaces, nor yet in
the general ability aud experience OF
ths mansgers. lila In the absence OF
that close attention 10 every detail
that marks the successful workiug Of
long established and eueceesful plants
elsewhere. This In q natural feature
OF the attempt 10 work great enter
prises In new district with
RAW AND INEFFICIENT Labor,
aud with sub officials. foremen, night
managers, etc, wholly lacking the
thoroughness and thrift tina. are known
nj northern producing centers like
Pittsburg. One Alabama iurnAceman
who directed every energy 70 securing
perfect u iiiormiiy In character OF ores
and fuel, and absolute regularity L.
filing the furnace, found all his
troubles disappear, only 10 return the
moment such vigilance Was Telexed
under different management.
TIE QUESTION or souruKRs COMPETITION
a. q disturbing factor Ia pig iron mann
facturo In the North has been much
discussed. II will not have an impor.
tant effect this year. and possibly no,
In the next twelve months Bflre
the end a 1888, however, Northern
makers WILL have cause 10 know that
the South has large ambitions. BY
that time the number OF fotive coke
furnaces South q the Ohio river will
be more THAI doubled, taking no &C.
count OF esveral that are likely 10 be
iole alter completion t0r lack OF COKE
eupply. One c1mpauy * nec,a 10 ahip
TO the Eastern ssa5oard 400 tons daily,
In addition b increased shipments 70
mesN,n n ah H ~ "nI, , 'auN..
i LII "y .. ~ a'. ~ ,,,, S su0. ~.
u,,Iy my. 'ns s'PT. u sny
VII nov pIeNcnt ". ie oou'nern